In bird, the new movie clint eastwood directed on the life of charlie bird parker, the image of the great young actor forest whitaker standing dead still on the bandstand, with only his. So far there are only a hand full of them that are good enough for me to watch them again which is bird, mo better blues and fabulous baker boys. There are certain movies that leave you dazed when you walk out of the theater. Bird, a film burnished with the magic of that 1946 concert encounter between legend and future legend and. He is quickly noticed for his remarkable way of playing. Bird wisely does not attempt to explain parkers music by connecting experiences with musical discoveries. The film was produced with excellent graphic quality, best ear busting sound quality. Bird is a movie that demands your full attention, refusing to yield all its meanings if you sit back and let it wash over you. Ive seen only a long time ago such a bad, full of cliches mo. Eastwood, who won a golden globe for best director for this film, also paints a vivid portrait of. Bird is the very best movie provided by malpaso productions, warner bros. Bird 1988 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. His directing has matured to a whole new level over the last decade.
Where the movie comes up slightly short is in its reticence to demonstrate birds creative process. The narrative is a bit too disorganized to deliver the full thematic punch that the movie strives for, but the performances of whitaker and diane venora as birds wife and the lasting images make it a significant achievement for eastwood behind the camera. Bird, a film burnished with the magic of that 1946 concert encounter between legend and future legend and honored with an academy award for best sound in its sp. The movie is about the life and music of jazz saxophonist charlie bird parker.
Incidentally, this is the best fidelity of charlie parker youll find anywhere. Though, by definition, the end result and artistic creation are one in improvised jazz, there is only one scene, nestled over two hours into the film, where bird explains the sensations and excitement that he feels while practicing his art. Offscreen, eastwood made national headlines in 1986 when he was elected mayor of carmel, california. Director clint eastwood fashions an intriguing opening, introducing his star forest whitaker, then the first of many performances using original recordings by the subject, charlie yardbird parker, in this case a lester young number he often played, in the 1988 biopic bird. Forest whitaker plays charlie bird parker the saxophonist extraordinaire. It is not a complete depressfest like two other movies about drug induced pop culture icons. Bird is a long, complex, ambitious movie, and it contains a lot of great music. I know he is a jazz lover, and the story of charlie parker isnt an easy story to tell, but this just didnt go deep enough into why he was what he was both musically and personally. I walked to the nearest theater fine arts, downtown chicago and looked to see what was playing.
With caroll spinney, brian muehl, maiko kawakami, masayuki kato. Anderson, novelist and retired united states air force colonel. It was both directed and produced by clint eastwood. Eastwood also directed the wellregarded bird 1988, a film biography of saxophonist charlie parker forest whitaker, and produced the documentary thelonious monk. An assassin working for the cia decides to take one final job before quiting only to find out that he is the target of his cia boss. This movie was shot during the last quarter of 1987, before the dead pool 1988 was filmed in february to april 1988. Pictures, possessing a description of the movie is saxophone player charlie parker comes to new york in 1940.
Clint eastwoods reputation as a serious filmmaker was given a considerable boost with this lengthy biography of jazz legend, charlie yardbird parker, who eastwood, a jazz aficionado, saw perform in oakland, california in 1946. This movie is the best jazz movie i have ever seen. In the dramatized biography, the life of one of american musics most influential figures is highlighted. It is constructed as a montage of scenes from parkers life, from his childhood in kansas city, through his early death at the age of 34. Features many remastered recordings by this jazz legend. Bird is the thirteenth full length feature film directed by clint eastwood. Eastwood edits the film not in any chronological sense, but instead in a way that suggests its. A bird is a feathered, winged, bipedal, warmblooded, egglaying, vertebrate. Released 1988, bird stars forestwhitaker, dianevenora, samuele. Eastwoods critically acclaimed account of the life of saxaphonist charlie parker. This is a film of music, not about it, and one of the most extraordinary things about it is that we are really, literally, hearing parker on the soundtrack. This movie was shot before the dead pool 1988 but launched stateside after it.
Charlie bird parker forest whitaker is cheered by the audience to a small jazz club in new york city. Moving forward and backward through parkers brief life before his death of a heroin overdose at age 34, the film foregrounds the saxophonists difficult relationship with his wife, chan parker diane venora, but also features lengthy scenes of parker. Bird movie simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Director clint eastwood, a noted jazz aficionado, directs this heartfelt study of pioneering bop saxophonist charlie parker forest whitaker. Watch your favorite free movies online on watch4hd.
He goes home feeling exultant, but his wife chan parker nee richardson diane venora is in no mood to have sex or be kind to him. So far there are only a hand full of them that are good enough for me to watch them again which is bird, mo. Official video content provided by warner home video or one of its authorized agents. Bird clint eastwood, 1988 bird, clint eastwoods ambitious treatment of the life of jazz improvisationalist charlie bird parker, uses a fragmented time structure in a seeming attempt to replicate the construction of its subjects music. Find out where to watch, buy, and rent bird online on moviefone. Bat21 is a 1988 american war film directed by peter markle, and adapted from the book by william c. Bird trailer 1988 video detective movie trailers, game. Saxophone player charlie parker comes to new york in 1940. Birds commonlaw wife chan, is portrayed by diane venora. On a nice evening in 1988 i decided to take in a movie on the spur of the moment. All in all this was not a bad movie about bird, only wish someone else could have played played bird. Look up bird or bird in wiktionary, the free dictionary. The narrative is a bit too disorganized to deliver the full thematic punch that the movie strives for, but the performances of whitaker and diane venora as bird s wife and the lasting images make it a significant achievement for eastwood behind the camera.
Director clint eastwood fashions an intriguing opening, introducing his star forest whitaker, then the first of many performances using original recordings by the subject, charlie yardbird parker, in this case a lester young. Bird is a 1988 american biographical film, produced and directed by clint eastwood from a screenplay by joel oliansky. King pleasure and charlie parker kansas city and parkers mood closing themes from bird duration. Watch movie and tvshow online full hd movie for free. Set during the vietnam war, the film is a dramatization based upon the rescue of a u. Hamilton camp the hustling mayor of manhattans west 52nd street, meets keith david as buster smith a real person. Director clint eastwood and writer joel oliansky working from history, saxophone hero charlie bird parker forest whitaker taken to bellevue hospital, clashes with a patient george orrison, his wife diane venora and doctor arlen dean snyder discuss extreme measures, in bird, 1988. The film is a tribute to the life and music of jazz saxophonist charlie bird parker. See the full list of bird cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. Wright, keithdavid the r movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 41 min, and received a score of 78 out of 100 on metacritic, which. I think clint would do a better job with this film today.
He becomes a drug addict but his loving wife chan tries to help him. Academy awardwinning director clint eastwood letters from iwo jima, flags of our fathers, a wellknown, longstanding jazz aficionado, delivers. The troubled life and career of jazz musician charlie bird parker forest whitaker. This is a film of music, not about it, and one of the most extraordinary things about.
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